New

6C Grammar ENGLISH FILE

Elementary

Description Students read a transcription of a phone conversation and decide where to use present continuous
Lesson link Use this activity after exercise 2
Time 10 minutes
Extra material Print out and photocopy the It’s the neighbours! worksheet for each student - cut up

Instructions
a Put SS in pairs. Hand out a copy of either part A or part B of the
worksheet to each student. Tell each student they will read a
transcription of a phone conversation. Each student has one half of
the phone conversation. You may need to pre-teach drive someone
mad, which means to make someone very angry. You may also need
to pre-teach DIY: Do-It-Yourself, which is a hobby of British people
who like to improve their homes by building and decorating.
b Ask SS to read their part of the conversation individually. Now ask SS
‘What is wrong with the story?’ The answer is that there is no present
continuous. SS work individually to change the present simple to the
present continuous.
c After three minutes ask SS to read their conversation together
(A starts). Finally check answers as a class.
d Finally ask SS what advice they can give speaker A to solve their
problem. What can speaker A say to the neighbours?

Answers

>> ring ring<<

A Hello. Oh hi! It’s me. Sorry I know I’m phoning you very late.
B It’s OK, I am not in bed. I’m watching TV. What’s up?
A It’s the neighbours! They are driving me mad so I had to phone you!
B Why? What are they doing? It’s eleven o’clock! Are they having a
party or something?
A No, it’s worse. All night, every night, until 2 o’clock in the morning,
they do DIY in the house! DIY! Tonight they are making so much
noise!
B DIY! That sounds awful! Are they building something?
A I think so. I hear the same noise every time and I think that they are
making furniture. Oh I’m so angry! I don’t know what to do!
B OK. Listen. Keep calm. You have to talk to your neighbours but do
it tomorrow, when you aren’t so angry.
A But where can I sleep?
B Come over here tonight and use our spare room. It’s no problem.
A Oh wonderful! Perfect! Thanks very much!
B Don’t mention it. What are friends for?

Photocopiable © Oxford University Press 2007 www.oup.com/elt

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 New
6C Grammar ENGLISH FILE
Elementary

It’s the neighbours!

Student A
>> ring ring<<
A Hello. Oh hi! It’s me. Sorry I know I phone you very late.
B ________________________________________________
A It’s the neighbours! They drive me mad so I had to phone you!
B ________________________________________________
A No, it’s worse. All night, every night, until 2 o’clock in the morning, they do DIY
in the house! DIY! Tonight they make so much noise!
B ________________________________________________
A I think so. I hear the same noise every time and I think that they make furniture.
Oh I’m so angry! I don’t know what to do!
B ________________________________________________
A But where can I sleep?
B ________________________________________________
A Oh wonderful! Perfect! Thanks very much!
B ________________________________________________

It’s the neighbours!

Student B
>> ring ring<<
A ________________________________________________
B It’s OK, I am not in bed. I watch TV. What’s up?
A ________________________________________________
B Why? What do they do? It’s eleven o’clock! Do they have a party or something?
A ________________________________________________
B DIY! That sounds awful! Do they build something?
A ________________________________________________
B OK. Listen. Keep calm. You have to talk to your neighbours but do it tomorrow,
when you aren’t so angry.
A ________________________________________________
B Come over here tonight and use our spare room. It’s no problem.
A ________________________________________________
B Don’t mention it. What are friends for?

Photocopiable © Oxford University Press 2007 www.oup.com/elt/englishfile